Kerrie Wilson

For Professor Kerrie Wilson, effective environmental policy needs to benefit both the environment and the people who live within it. As a result of undertaking her postgraduate research through The University of Melbourne in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Program – World Conservation Monitoring Centre which is based in Cambridge, Kerrie’s perspective as an environmental scientist is strongly interdisciplinary, which has equipped her to assume multiple leadership positions in this field – both within and outside of academia. Most recently, Kerrie has been awarded an ARC Future Fellowship at the University of Queensland, and from 2017-2018 was the Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions (CEED).

The Centre’s focus on environmental management and monitoring in order to facilitate improved conservation outcomes aligned closely with Kerrie’s own research interests, which include engaging with issues of resource allocation and quantifying the benefits of investing in conservation efforts. Kerrie’s research is highly significant as environmental futures become increasingly uncertain, and she reflects on the importance of being able to articulate the impact of one’s research in the video.

Partnering with industry throughout her career has also helped Kerrie develop effective time management skills, and she explains these strategies within the podcast. Within the podcast and the video, Kerrie also considers the role that networking and sponsorship plays in allowing women to combat entrenched inequalities within the academy, and reflects on how her relationships with senior women have helped her succeed.